After six long years of careful planning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has finally inaugurated one of the greenest low-income housing blocks in the United States – Via Verde. Comprised of 222 residential units, 71 of which are for sale, the mixed-use complex in the South Bronx boasts lush rooftop terraces, a food co-op at street level, a health clinic and plenty of green spaces for residents to enjoy. Subsidized as part of the New Housing Marketplace Plan that aims to provide 160,000 affordable housing units throughout New York by the end of fiscal year 2014, this groundbreaking project by Grimshaw and Dattner Architects sets the bar for the nation.